If It Quacks Like a Quack…

Okay, idioms aren’t my strong point. Yesterday, in the interest of creating a guide I could reference in future comics, I put together one I felt would cover many of the “Red Flags” one could look for when analyzing a claim, treatment, philosophy, or anecdote. It has Deepak Chopra , 8-bit space invaders, and a wizard on it, which I believe represents the gamut of pseudoscience and quackery.

Clicking on the image takes you to the accompanying write-up, which I felt was so long that the internet didn’t need it on there twice. Enjoy!

Other such guides can be found on Skeptoid and Quackwatch. Note that the above does not include the clause “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.“, which one should consider first above all else.

Also note that both this image and the accompanying written guide are meant to be amorphous and ever-changing to account for errors on my part, new examples, or clearer reasoning. Much like science itself, I plan to update and change the guide as needed. Heck, if we add some more red flags, we can play Bingo! So if you spot a horrible flaw anywhere, feel free to let me know via comments or e-mail. SCIENCE!